Lapatinib in Combination With Radiation Therapy in Patients With Brain Metastases From HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

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The purpose of this research study is to determine the safety of combining lapatinib plus radiation in patients with breast cancer that has spread to the brain. Depending upon the participants cancer, they may also have stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Lapatinib s a compound that may stop cancer cells from growing abnormally. It is thought that lapatinib might also make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation. This drug has been used in other research studies in women with breast cancer, and information from those other research studies suggests that lapatinib may help to shrink or stabilize breast tumors both inside the brain and outside the brain.

Condition or disease

Intervention/treatment

Phase

Breast CancerBrain Metastases

Drug: LapatinibProcedure: Whole Brain RadiationDrug: Herceptin

Phase 1

Detailed Description:

Participant's will be given a study medication-dosing calendar for each treatment cycle. Each treatment cycle lasts four weeks. On the first day of the treatment cycle, participants will take 1 lapatinib orally twice per day, 12 hours apart. After the first day, lapatinib will be taken once a day in the morning.

Whole brain radiation treatments will begin approximately 1-8 days after the first dose of lapatinib. The radiation treatments will follow standard guidelines and will be supervised by a radiation oncologist. Radiation will be given in 15 treatments over a period of three weeks.

Some participants will also undergo stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). SRS is a highly focused and intense form of radiation treatment generally done as an outpatient procedure in a single treatment.

After whole brain radiation treatments are completed, lapatinib will be continued at the same dose for one more week. After that, the lapatinib dose may change. In addition at the same time, Herceptin will be started. Participants will continue with both lapatinib and herceptin together as long as there is evidence that they are benefitting from it.

During all treatment cycles participants will have a physical exam and be asked general questions about their health. Photographs will be taken of the tumor, if visible, to assess the response of the tumor to the treatment. An assessment of the tumor by CT scan of the body, and MRI imaging of the brain will be performed every two months. An assessment of heart function by MUGA scan or echocardiogram will be performed every 8 weeks. The participant will also be asked to complete a brief questionnaire measuring quality of life and asking about symptoms related to the cancer at baseline, 6 months, and one year. Blood tests will be performed every 4 weeks.

The Maximum Tolerated Dose of Lapatinib When Combined With Cranial Radiation in Patients With CNS Metastases From HER2-positive Breast Cancer. [ Time Frame: 5 Years ]

The maximum tolerated dose is defined as :The highest dose of a drug or treatment that does not cause unacceptable side effects.

Secondary Outcome Measures :

Progression Free Survival [ Time Frame: 5 years ]

Progression Free Survival is the time from date of start of treatment to the date of the first documented progression or death due to any cause. If a patient has not progressed or died, progression free survival is censored at the time of last tumor assessment. Progression is defined using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors Criteria (RECIST v1.0), as a 20 % increase in the sum of the longest diameter of target lesions, or a measurable increase in a non-target lesion, or the appearance of new lesions.

Objective Response Rate was defined using volumetric response as the following: Complete Response (CR) is the disappearance of all target lesions, stable/responsive non-target lesions, and no new lesions. Partial response (PR) is at least a 50% reduction in the sum of the target lesions, stable/responsive non-target lesions, and no new lesions. Stable Disease (SD) is neither CR PR or Progressive Disease (PD). And Progressive Disease (PD) is at least 40% increase in sum of target lesionsor the appearance of any new lesion >=6mm in the longest dimension. If a patient progressed in a non-central nervous system(CNS) site first, died, or withdrew from the study for any reason after the first dose of drug was administered, and before a CR or PR in the central nervous system was determined, she was considered a CNS non-responder.

Percentage of Participants Having Central Nervous System as the Site of the First Progression [ Time Frame: 5 years ]

Percentage of Participants Having Non-Central Nervous System Sites as the Site of First Progression [ Time Frame: 5 years ]

Overall Survival [ Time Frame: Participants were followed for an average of 3.8 years ]

Overall average length of participant survival after protocol initiation

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